icebreaker

American  

[ahys-brey-ker] / ˈaɪsˌbreɪ kər /

noun

1. Nautical. a ship specially built for breaking navigable passages through ice.

2. an opening remark, action, etc., designed to ease tension or relieve formality.

   A mild joke can be a good icebreaker.

3. a tool or machine for chopping ice into small pieces.

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icebreaker British  

/ ˈaɪsˌbreɪkə /

noun

1. Also called: iceboat.  a vessel with a reinforced bow for breaking up the ice in bodies of water to keep channels open for navigation

2. any tool or device for breaking ice into smaller pieces

3. something intended to relieve mutual shyness at a gathering of strangers

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Etymology

Origin of icebreaker

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; ice + breaker ¹

Example Sentences

At a massive shipyard in North Vancouver, Canadian workers grind metal beams for a powerful new icebreaker crucial to cementing the country's presence in the increasingly contested Arctic.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

In 2022, the researchers traveled aboard the now-decommissioned U.S. icebreaker, the Nathaniel B. Palmer, to the Dotson Ice Shelf in the Amundsen Sea of West Antarctica.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Lin leaves stacks of “conversation cards” featuring icebreaker questions on the tables at Coffee Confessionals, to help prompt connection between strangers or for those on first dates.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

One of the more challenging birthday parties I’ve attended as an adult unfolded like this: an icebreaker game, followed immediately by a game of “Risk,” followed by “The Settlers of Catan.”

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

Routine was a powerful icebreaker with the boys who drank their morning coffee with Hobie.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy